Chief Executive Susi Tegen and Policy and Data Analytics Officer Clare Fitzmaurice appeared before the Senate Community Affairs References Committee on Tuesday 28 February 2023 to provide further evidence and testimony about rural access to reproductive health care.
The Alliance raised concerns over the limited access to medical abortion in rural areas:
'Rates of unintended pregnancy are higher in rural areas, access to surgical termination of pregnancy is very limited and, though available in primary health care, many areas of rural Australia do not have access to early medical abortion.
'Access in Australia to surgical termination of pregnancy (STOP) is generally provided in private clinics (and some public hospitals), but they are commonly located in major cities. Hence, access for rural women close to home is limited.
'Medical abortion can be provided in primary care, either in person or via telehealth. A 2020 study reported that only 2,850 of the 41,000 GPs in Australia were registered to prescribe early medical abortion medications at that time,' the Alliance stated.
Here’s the related news report by Western Plains: westernplainsapp.com.au/news/news/women-let-down-over-unwanted-pregnancies-in-the-bush
The Alliance appearance supported the evidence provided in our submission to this Inquiry: Senate Community Affairs References Committee inquiry into the universal access to reproductive healthcare